Darksiders - A New Age
by The Sweeping Channel
Summary: After the battle between War and Abaddon, and after Death sacrificed himself to the Well of Souls to resurrect humanity, what happened as a result of that sacrifice? How does the story continue? Where were those souls sent? Follow the journey of the Horsemen and the last human, Sarah, as they fight to understand where humanity is headed now.
1. Chapter oo1

She was born into the thrashing and clanging of metal against scale, an unknowing child into the dangers of the End War. Clad in barely more than a lump of rags, the girl looking nothing short of an unassuming corpse among the other corpses that had been slain in the place where she appeared. In fact, she was hardly noticed as her eyes fluttered open, arms wrapped around her body like a shell as she was met with a great pain in her aching body.

The bright light of the sun was a foreign sensation to her as she stirred, cradled by the broken concrete on which she'd landed. She found that trying to process the sounds of shouting and snarling that greeted her made her head hurt, so in reply to the world that was oh-so-unwelcoming to her, she let out a soft moan. As it so happened, a demon corpse came hurtling towards her with such a force that it tossed her to the side, forcing her upright. It was at that moment that she learned how to walk, because only with her legs could she escape the whirlwind of danger that she suddenly found herself in.

 _This is strange…_ she thought with a small shiver, jolting towards the hollowed-out shell of a building, out of sight of the two factions clashing in midair. _Where am I? What is this horrible place? Where… where did I come from?_ Not quite the usual questions that she would have been asking herself, but seeing as she'd just come into existence, it was a normal thought process.

Looking out from behind the crumbling concrete, she was momentarily blinded by the sunlight reflecting off of a shining coat of golden armor. Just as quickly as it came, it went again, and was replaced by the bloodcurdling scream of a demon being ripped to shreds. It just so happened that the child had landed in the middle of a particularly nasty spat between the Hellguard and the demons that plagued what was once the Kingdom of Man. All had died out by now… all, it seemed, but one.

The girl yelped as the head of the decapitated creature landed at her feet, and she pressed her shivering body against the remnants of a wall as a flash of white hair and a commanding voice broke through the sounds of the scuffle.

"Hellguard, to me!" Uriel shouted as the last of the demons fell. One of the angels swept past Sarah and she covered her mouth, hoping to mask the sounds of her heavy, frightened breathing, to no avail. He paused for a moment, looking around as he landed.

 _Please don't let him find me…_ she prayed, shutting her eyes as though that would make a difference.

Suddenly, she felt the vice grip of a metal hand on her arm and she let out a frightened whine as she was dragged forward. The angel she'd tried to hide from had spotted her through the glass window and had drawn her out of her hiding spot to face his commanding officer.

"I found her hiding in that building, Uriel," he said gruffly, pushing her forward onto her knees. He raised his sword to her back. "She could be infected, what to do with her?"

Uriel landed in front of the girl, who was bowing her head onto the ground in terror. Sarah looked up as she was approached, tears streaming down her face as she whispered, "Please… please don't kill me…"

"Can it be…?" Uriel asked in awe, grabbing the girl's hand, where a scrape had left a trail of blood across her skin. "Child… are you human?"

Another angel joined the group, one whose robes were long and beautiful, and whose back carried a strange device unlike the other angels. He looked at Sarah, blinking his blind, gray eyes at her in shock.

"Unbelievable…" he whispered, gesturing towards her. "Her soul is unlike one I have seen in a long time… perhaps she is the salvation that we have long awaited?"

However, before he could say more, a loud shriek was heard somewhere in the distance.

"Uriel!" one of the angels shouted. "There are more of them… hundreds! Zutal has sent her reinforcement legion to battle us!"

"To arms!" Uriel shouted with a wave of her sword. "Azrael," she said to the other angel, "we must take her some place where she will be safe. If she is indeed human… then we cannot let any harm befall her."

"Quickly then," Azrael replied, gesturing upwards. "I will open a portal that will take her to Eden. It is the only place that Zutal will not be able to reach for the time being."

"Let's go," Uriel agreed, but Sarah pulled away.

"Who are you?" she asked fearfully. "What's going on? Where am I?"

"All will be explained in time, child," Azrael said with a sense of urgency. "We must leave before Zutal's forces arrive. Hurry now, take my hand and we will bring you to safety."

Sarah hesitated, but after a moment she reached for Azrael, who pulled her to him tightly before lifting off of the ground. Sarah gasped, grabbing onto his neck tightly and burying her head into his silken robes as they rose over the buildings towards a glimmering sky scraper in the distance.

"There!" Uriel shouted, pointing to a hole in the side of the building, and Azreal nodded, beating his wings until they were headed for the entrance at an impossible speed. Sarah clung on to him for dear life, refusing to let go until her feet were both firmly on the ground.

"You have a strong grip," Azrael commented as she stumbled onto the ground, feeling slightly nauseous. "A strong grip means a strong will to live… I'm sure whatever danger you face, you will face without fear."

Sarah couldn't quite understand what he meant, almost completely sure that she wanted nothing at all to do with this conflict that she found herself in.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," she insisted. "I just… I just want to go back to wherever I came from."

"Hm…" Azrael said, walking up to her and pushing a handful of wavy, brown curls from her forehead. He knew immediately what he saw there, the glowing half-circular symbol of the Charred Council that all so feared, resting ominously on her brow.

"And… where is your home, exactly?" he asked. Sarah looked away.

"I… couldn't tell you," she replied quietly, and Azrael shook his head.

"Nevermind," he said, gesturing his hand towards a glowing blue circle that had just opened up in the ground. "We must get you to safety. Hurry, through here."

Sarah felt Uriel appear behind her, putting a hand on her back to guide her towards the rising light. "Don't worry," the angel said comfortingly. "We will both see you on the other side."

Not knowing what else to do, Sarah let herself be guided towards the light, looking over her shoulder every once in a while at the strange landscape she was about to leave. _This place…_ she thought in awe. _Why… does it seem so familiar?_

It wasn't a moment later that she was sucked into the void, vision fading into black until she appeared in another setting entirely.

She stumbled forward, feeling slightly disoriented as she shook her head a few times to clear her vision from the blurriness that had come from passing through the portal. She now found herself on some sort of floating platform, and as she carefully inched her way over to the crumbling edge, she gasped as she saw that the ground beneath her fell away into an endless sky.

She took a frightened step back as Uriel and Azrael appeared behind her.

"Quickly now," Azrael urged, pushing her towards what looked like an incomplete bridge. "We must get you to safety."

Sarah swallowed reluctantly. It seemed like those horrible shrieking creatures were gone now, and the beautiful people with their white, feathery wings were being gentle enough with her… so after a moment she nodded, and allowed herself to be guided towards the round, marble arches. She paused at the edge.

"There's nothing here!" she protested, referring to the fact that there was no ground for her to walk on. The other side of the bridge seemed to be some sort of island, covered with beautiful trees and waterfalls. Sarah wanted to cross, but it didn't seem like there was any way that she would accomplish that.

Azrael shushed her gently. "It's alright. The bridge was hidden from view a long time ago, but if you are human, then you will be able to cross."

Sarah didn't quite know what to make of it. She thought they'd already determined that she was human? Or was this some sort of ultimate test? The thought of being human seemed right to her, almost like she knew that this was what she was, but she wasn't completely sure. She wasn't completely sure of anything other than that she was alive for whatever reason, in a place where she surely should have been dead.

She took a step towards the edge and paused, taking a deep breath. One foot, and then the other, and then she was at the threshold. Her foot lingered over the edge until finally she set it down, and was amazed to find that beneath her, the air somehow began to shimmer and glow in the place where she stepped. She drew back in fright, but as the initial shock faded, she stepped forward again. And again, and again… and soon she was walking over the bridge to the other side, to Eden.

Azrael and Uriel flew at her side, every once in a while glancing at each other in amazement and disbelief. Sarah didn't notice this, as she was too busy marveling at the fact that she was crossing an invisible bridge. Eventually they arrived at the other side, and Sarah, with what little she remembered, was almost completely sure that she'd never been so tempted to kiss a rock.

"What is this place?" she asked once they began to go up the stairs just beyond the bridge.

"This is Eden," Azrael replied. "This was the first gift to Mankind, given to you by the Creator."

"You will be safe here," Uriel assured her. "Stay close to the tree, and—"

Suddenly, she stopped as a large shrieking noise was heard from the far side of the bridge. All three looked back to the platform, where the portal that had just been blue was now suddenly glowing an angry red color.

"Oh no…" Azrael said, drawing his sword. "They've corrupted the portal… quickly Uriel, we must seal it!"

"Let's go!" the angel cried, and together they darted for the portal, leaving Sarah to stand, scared and alone, at the top of the steps. Feeling quite vulnerable so out in the open, the girl suddenly spotted a small outcrop of rock just beneath a waterfall around the bend from the bottom of the steps. Gritting her teeth against the fear, she began to run back down, careful not to trip on the sharp rocks that lined the edge of the staircase.

With a small yelp, the girl leapt into the water below, running for the small cavern as more and more of the demon birds swarmed into the sanctuary. They cried out as they spotted their prey and Sarah screamed as they began to rush towards her, cutting her off from the cave she'd been running to.

Uriel and Azrael saw this and called out to her to run, but Sarah saw nothing but their moving lips through the swarm of fiery red birds that were now aiming to attack her. She ran away from them, climbing and leaping over rocks as more and more latched onto her scent. Soon she was almost swimming in the water she was running through as, in her final attempt to escape, she found herself on a ledge with nowhere to go but down.

The bird swarmed her, and before she could stop herself, she took a step back and began to fall.

Sarah didn't even know what she was screaming at this point, or if she was even screaming at all. The cries of Zutal's minions were too loud to hear much of anything. She didn't know how long she fell, but it seemed like an eternity before one of the demons finally caught her in its razor sharp claws and began to carry her off. She wriggled and fought against it, but couldn't really do anything against its monstrous strength. Tears streamed down her face as she screamed for it to let her go, but it didn't seem to understand her – or if it did, it wasn't listening.

Nor was it a smooth ride. It seemed like there was some sort of rivalry going on, since it took only a few moments before another bird of similar design appeared and attempted to steal Sarah away from her captor, likely to claim the prize for herself. The cries of the fighting birds were deafening as after a moment, the bird let go and Sarah began to fall again. This time, she landed right inside of a swarm of them, where at least three birds began to vie for her. Her throat was choked shut with terrified sobs as she was tossed from one demon to another, until finally it seemed like her bruised body could take no more. Her eyelids began to fall shut as she took a deep, painful breath, and just as a strong beak clamped around her midsection, everything suddenly went black.


	2. Chapter oo2

When Sarah finally came to, it was to the sound of rushing water and a gentle breeze. With a small groan she realized that in the time that she'd been awake, her condition had hardly improved. She didn't know any more about anything than she had before, and it almost seemed like her body hurt _more_ than when she'd first woken up in who knows where. Though, there was something to be said about where she found herself this time. Last time, there hadn't been soft green grass, and a beautiful lake stretching out in front of her.

She sat up, pushing a handful of bouncy brown curls out of her eyes and crawling forward on her hands and knees towards the cool, refreshing water. She splashed some on her face gently, and with a start realized that she was absolutely parched. As she quenched her thirst, she began to wonder just how she'd gotten from being a hellbird's ragdoll to being here in this strange, idyllic landscape, where crumbling remnants of broken buildings rose up from glimmering, watery depths. Something must have happened, though she wasn't entirely sure what.

She paused her drinking, and as the ripples in the water settled, she caught a glimpse of her own reflection for the very first time.

Her skin was a smooth, tawny color with a healthy pink undertone that shone out beneath her freckled cheeks like the summer sunset that illuminated the lake she'd just drunk from. Her eyes blinked back a deep blue color, purple now that the flames of the evening sky shone brightly overhead. She reached for her own hair in awe, tugging on one of the large, chocolate curls that bounced back and forth across her brow. A string of leather held back what it could, but even in a fluffy ponytail, it seemed like whoever dressed Sarah had lost that battle. And, most noticeably, around her neck hung a beautiful blue pendant, with a vial that glowed and swirled, almost as though it were alive.

She was small in human terms, but sturdy, with a proportionately large bust that complimented her small shoulders and back. Her body was dressed in what looked like the torn up remnants of a brown dress, though now it looked more like a haphazardly assembled lump of rags after having been torn to shreds by the claws of the birds that had tried to carry her off. The shoes that had once been on her feet were gone now, and Sarah determined herself to be in a rather sorry state… though being alive, she had somehow managed. Or had she?

She righted herself, ignoring the dull ache in her body as she sat back onto the grass. The water lapped gently at the sand at its shore and Sarah let out a small, weary sigh.

 _How long before another one of those monsters tries to eat me?_ she wondered, pulling her knees to her chest glumly and fiddling with the vial on her neck. _And what's this? How come I never noticed this before?_

Suddenly, she heard rustling above her and she gasped, looking up as a bit of rock crumbled down from the cove wall above her. It rained down onto the grass to her left and she covered her mouth again to hide her frightened breathing, pressing her back against the wall as she inched her way towards a clandestine corner to her right. She sat there silently, shutting her eyes and praying that whoever – or whatever – it was that had followed her here would either go away, or be struck down by some mighty force like those birds had been.

It seemed like an eternity before Sarah dared to breathe again, although when she exhaled she was greeted by curious mumbling.

"… I told you we should have been watching her, now she's crawled off to some corner and we have no idea where she is," a raspy, masculine voice complained somewhere above her.

"No," said another, this voice more virile, somehow smoother compared to the first. "She's here somewhere. She's just hiding. It's what they do."

"Humans," the first one scoffed. "The Judicator was right. They're always so frightened. And for good reason. War… if she's really human, then every creature in the four kingdoms will want to get their hands on her."

"We must protect her," War agreed.

"Well then let's get to finding her before something else does."

Sarah was torn. She didn't know what to do. Should she surrender herself to these two … dare she say people? She could understand them, so perhaps that was the correct term. Then again, if she stayed hidden there was a near certain chance that they would find her eventually, so showing herself now would save both parties a lot of frustration and time. Besides, it would soon get dark, and Sarah had her doubts as to whether she would be able to sustain herself on her own for the night. So, before War and his mysterious partner could leave their perch on the ravine above her, Sarah took a deep breath and slowly stepped out into the setting sun.

"…H-here I am," she stammered quietly, the silhouette of two hulking masses looking rather intimidating from where she was standing. There was a tense silence between them as they exchanged glances, and suddenly they began to walk towards her, jumping down with a great clang of armor and weapons as they landed right in front of her. Yelping in fright, Sarah stumbled backwards and fell onto the sand.

The two forms that greeted her were unlike anything she'd seen so far (which, considering _what_ she'd seen so far, she wasn't sure how to feel about). They were neither angel nor demon nor man, but a warrior-like mixture of all three that sent Sarah's heart pounding in her chest.

One had skin the color of a corpse, and wore a mask that resembled a skull. Around his neck he wore a ragged cloak that shielded from view two massive scythes with skulls decorating the handles. His hands and feet were wrapped in torn leather, and through the mask Sarah could see two glowing purple eyes scrutinizing her closely. A large scar was healing on his chest, and somehow Sarah suddenly felt responsible for his wound (though she couldn't possibly know why).

The second seemed larger than the first, with lurid red eyes and long, white hair that flapped loosely in the evening breeze. With a start, Sarah realized that she had the same mark on her forehead as he did, the one that she didn't understand. His red hooded cloak cast his face into shadows and Sarah shied away at the sight of the giant sword at his side. He was more armored than his companion, looking more like a soldier. Taking a wild guess, Sarah decided that this one must have been War.

"Hm…" the second one grumbled, stepping towards her. Sarah's heart pounded within her as rapid breaths sent her chest heaving, and she gripped her fingers into the wet sand behind her as she turned her head away in fright. The creature stepped back, letting out a small chuckle.

"I guess they really are afraid of Death," he replied, returning to his brother's side and gesturing towards Sarah. "Well, go ahead then, War. You always were the more charming one… see if you can convince the human that we're friendly."

War huffed indifferently, leaving his sword by his brother's side and walking towards Sarah. He crouched down in front of her, and after a moment's pause, began to reach for her. Sarah froze, her head still turned away from him in terror as his gloved fingers grasped onto the curl that was on her face, slowly pushing it out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. Sarah let out a small breath of relief (after all, she'd been half expecting him to snap her neck, or poke out an eyeball, or otherwise maim her), and nervously glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Are you… here to kill me…?" she whispered as the water from the lake began to run over her fingertips. War withdrew his hand, observing her with an expressionless face for what seemed an eternity.

"… no," he replied after a moment of excruciating silence. "My brother and I are here to protect you." He stood, turning away with a shuffle of his heavy armor. "If we were here to kill you, then we would have done it by now."

Well that's certainly a relief, Sarah thought, carefully standing and brushing off her naked legs. "Brothers?" she asked, her natural curiosity getting the better of her. "But you two seem nothing alike!"

"We ride as brothers," Death answered with a dismissive flick of his wrist. "We are of the Four."

"The Four…" Sarah repeated slowly, wracking her brains for the reason why that sounded so familiar. "The… the Four Horsemen, yes?"

"Well it seems you haven't lost everything," Death replied sarcastically. "Yes, the Four Horsemen."

Sarah frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "Why do you mock me?" she asked, her blue eyes narrowing irritably. "First you frighten me and now you treat me as though I am stupid? I may not remember much, but I know enough to say that you certainly need to work on your manners."

"Oh, do we really have to put up with her, War?" Death complained. "I liked her better when she was sleeping. Besides, how can you be so sure that she's a human with that mark on her brow? I say we send her back to the Council, where she belongs."

"Council? What Council?" Sarah asked again, feeling confused now that more had been added to her roster of things to learn.

"The Charred Council," War replied with a notable edge. "That scar you wear on your forehead is its mark. I have no doubt that you are human… but if you are Council-born then I have no reason to trust you."

"I know not of any council," Sarah replied with all the honesty she could muster, "or of any mark, or its meaning… I know only that I was sentenced to this world for some crime I cannot remember committing. Why else would I be subjected to this hostility? For someone's crude enjoyment?"

"We shall see," Death replied, glancing at the sun, which was beginning to sink into the horizon. "But we must go now." He looked at Sarah again. "Can you fight?"

Sarah, a bit confused as to his question, simply held up her hands and shook her head. Death rolled his eyes and let out a groan.

"Wonderful. She's weak as a flower, and hasn't even got any thorns. Certainly we have better things to do than this?"

"Yes, like butcher more birds for your amusement…" Sarah mumbled, drawing an annoyed stare from the older Horseman. He grumbled something under his breath, but Sarah ignored it. If she was going to be surrounded by condescending, mistrustful mercenaries, then she might as well drown herself in the lake now. She reached for the pendant on her neck and looked at it intensely, watching the blue mists swirling around inside it as though it were… alive somehow. It almost seemed to speak to her… mesmerizing her… enchanting her into a world of her own thoughts…

"We must protect her until we find out who she is," War replied suddenly, jerking her out of her daydream. "She is the last human, Council-born or not, warrior or otherwise. You can't honestly expect her to survive on her own, and if she doesn't turn out to be who we need her to be, then we can always turn her back to the demons."

He stopped, and Death nodded.

"Very well," he replied, gesturing towards Sarah. "Follow us. I know a place where you will be safe. "

"As do I," replied War. "We should take her to Eden."

 _Eden, again!_ Sarah thought with a thoughtful frown. _Do they know of the battle that rages there? If I tell them, will it deter them from taking me there? Uriel and Azrael are surely still there, battling those hell birds. But if these two are as formidable as they seem, perhaps saying nothing may save that paradise…?_

Sarah remained silent, disguising her recognition with a shiver and trailing after them quickly once they'd turned away.

Minutes turned to hours as they trudged on endlessly. Quietly, Sarah followed behind the horsemen, unsure of herself after their meager analysis of her abilities. Was she so unspectacular, then? After all, she'd survived almost being torn to pieces by birds of prey that had likely contributed to the eradication of her people, and that with nothing more than a bit of soreness in her bones. True, she hadn't the ability to _kill_ the birds, but at least she wasn't as fragile as Death had made her seem.

As the moon began to rise overhead, Sarah wondered how long it would take before they reached Eden again. Last time, the angel Azrael had simply opened a portal and allowed them in. but it didn't seem like her companions possessed this ability. She'd been tempted on numerous occasions to ask where they were taking her, since that option wasn't available, and if there would be flying involved, since she doubted she could do much of either.

They continued on in silence, passing through caverns and dripping remnants of what Man had built in the time when they had existed. It was eerie, realizing that her people were gone. The Horsemen may have been unique, but at least there were four. She was alone in this world. Empty husks of large, metal boxes on rubber wheels littered the streets where they walked, and at every noise she was pushed into a corner, hidden away from dangers that were usually nothing more than a stray demon bat or a carnivorous flower, easily handled by a few crafty detours. There were so many dangers in this world… was this really where her people had once thrived?

It was well into the night when the group arrived at a system of tunnels that overlooked an ashen wasteland. Sarah stopped at the entrance, watching as War and Death continued on ahead without her. After a moment, however, they caught on that their shadow was no longer following them, but had fallen to her knees tiredly at the foot of the ascent that they were about to make.

"What are you doing? Get up," Death said with an irritated scowl. "We must keep moving until we reach Eden."

"And what will that do?" Sarah protested – the first thing she'd said to them since earlier that evening. "Eden is infested with demons, more so than any place on earth that I have yet seen. Here I see nothing but silence, while a massive battle rages on above us." She fell back wearily, shutting her eyes as she leaned her head against a rotting wooden post. "Besides… I'm tired."

War and Death exchanged a curious glance. Sarah wasn't sure if it was because she'd mentioned the battle in Eden, or if it was because they weren't used to being in the company of someone who tired more easily than they did, but either way, she was determined not to go a single step more until she'd been given an opportunity to rest, if that meant stubbornly insisting that they carried her.

"If Eden is not safe… then nowhere is," War said with a frown.

"Azrael and Uriel battle Zutal's children as we speak," Sarah replied with a small smile. "Maybe the battle is not lost yet."

"Uriel?" the Horsemen both said in unison before looking at each other. Death was the first to reply.

"You've encountered the Angels?" he asked, looking at her. Sarah nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "They were the first to find me. They brought me to Eden, and now you say I must find my way there again. Maybe it's fate that's given you the same idea, but I believe that between the four of you, Eden will be safe again." She stopped, looking out across the ash desert. "But to you I am weak. I am but a trophy. Azrael looked at me as though I were a precious wonder… while you see me as nothing but a burden."

"You are the only human," War corrected. "How can you think of yourself so lowly?"

"Well you both don't seem to hold my ability in high regard," she replied with a slight edge in her voice, "and I know of myself only that which I have been told… and shown. Compared to you, I have no strength or power, and my body cannot take a beating like yours can. I am not nimble, I am not agile, and I am not fast. All I know to do is hide, like a coward."

"Enough of this self-pitying nonsense," Death snapped. "If the Angels are fighting the hell birds in Eden, then we have all the more reason to get there as quickly as possible."

"No," Sarah said quietly, hiding her face in her hands. "I can go no farther until my body has rested."

"Death," said War, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Perhaps we should let the human rest. She will be safe deeper within the corridors. We won't be by the portal until daybreak as it is, and I'd rather not lose her to the ashworms."

"Alright, but what are we going to do about her little 'condition'?" he asked sarcastically, and Sarah frowned at him over her shoulder.

"We're Horsemen," War replied. "We will let her ride on a horse."

"Oh, you fear her getting eaten by the ashworms but you have no problem putting her on the back of Ruin?" Death answered with a chuckle. "That Watcher must really have addled your brains."

"No," was War's reply. "She will ride Despair."

"W-what?" Death sputtered. " _My_ horse?"

"He was always the more even-tempered one," War answered calmly.

"… well I can't argue with that," Death answered after a moment. He waved his hand and suddenly the ground beneath them shook. Sarah gasped, shuffling backwards as a glowing green creation emerged from the ground with a fierce neigh. It was Despair, Death's faithful companion.

"Alright then," Death replied, waving towards the horse. "Get on."

Sarah hesitated, but after a moment inched towards the creature and put a gentle hand on its flank. It snorted irritably and she shrank back, not sure if this was a good idea.

"Well don't take all day," Death sniffed, gripping her around the waist and lifting her up. Sarah yelped as she was plopped down onto Despair's back.

Odd. She felt strange, yet comfortable on this animal's back. Safe, almost. Like this raging beast could be trusted past its turbulent exterior. She felt steady as they walked, filled with a strangely empowering malaise that this beast channeled through her. It was clear that Despair had followed Death wherever he rode – a smooth, gentle, yet fearsome creature of unimaginable power and emotional capacity, capable of both destroying and rebuilding. Death and Despair, War and Ruin… she was beginning to sense a pattern here.

They continued for a little while longer until they reached what seemed to be some sort of housing area. Cracked vases and destroyed bunks littered the sidelines, like a battle had been fought there with little mercy. War tensed up immediately when they entered, and Sarah took no time guessing that he had been the cause of this battle… or at the very least, a participant.

"We will stay here," Death announced, ignoring his brother's unease as they came to a stop. "There is a place for the human to sleep, and we can watch her without much effort."

Sarah dismounted Despair with a slight huff. "Sarah," she replied, brushing herself off and trying to ignore her throbbing legs. "My name is Sarah."

Death didn't appear to take any notice of her statement as he continued to survey the surroundings, nimbly leaping across walls and ledges to check for enemies. War came up behind her and Sarah jumped slightly as he replied, "Sarah… please follow me."

He led her to one of the slightly less destroyed bunks and placed her there just as Death jumped down from above them.

"Looks safe," he replied, shaking out his messy black hair. "For now."

Sarah suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired, and let out a loud yawn as she stretched her arms overhead. She swallowed a few times, coughing at her dry throat. She slid her feet off of the bed and began to walk past them.

"And just where do you think _you're_ going?" Death asked.

"To search for some water," she replied. "I'm still a bit new to being human, but this is a need that I cannot ignore."

"But it will take hours to find anything in these tunnels!"

"I know where to find water," War replied suddenly. "I will go to get some for her."

"What are we, errand boys?" Death grumbled, but Sarah replied with a warm smile.

"Thank you," she answered sincerely, and Death rolled his eyes.

War shuffled off, leaving the two alone in the silence until Sarah decided to speak up again.

"Why do you despise me so?" she asked Death, crossing her arms angrily. "I've done nothing to wrong you."

Death grunted. "It's that _thing_ around your neck," he replied, shaking his head. "Something about it has got me all… bothered."

"Oh," Sarah replied dumbly, holding it up in her hand and observing it once more. She didn't sense anything malicious about it; in fact to her it seemed almost comforting, if not just aesthetically pleasing. "So why must you take it out on me? I did not elect to put it around my neck."

"Ugh, never mind," Death answered. "Just be quiet."

"Why must you wear that mask?"

"I said _quiet_. Until War returns with that blasted water."


	3. Chapter oo3

War returned shortly after, carrying the water that he'd promised, and in that time it seemed that neither Angel nor Demon had made an appearance… which was all well and good, but after a while, Death began to grow restless. He hadn't been in favor of resting to begin with, and the fact that they were being so sedentary was making him nervous.

"I'm going to scout the tunnels," he said for the third time since they had stopped, and this time neither War nor Sarah said anything to deter him. Death looked back and forth between the two before letting out an exasperated groan.

"Is something the matter, Death?" War asked patiently. Death clenched and unclenched his fists.

"I can't believe we're just sitting here while Azrael and Uriel are battling the hellbirds in Eden," he snapped, "all because the human is tired."

"I didn't _choose_ to be tired, you know," Sarah snapped. "If you're suddenly so concerned about the angels, then why don't you go to Eden by yourself? I'm sure you'll be more than capable of handling it without War, and if you are not, then I'm sure I'll find my own way there eventually!"

"You wouldn't last a single day on your own," Death quipped. "You're just slowing us down."

"Perhaps a night's sleep might amend that problem, preferably one without your constant arrogant input!"

"That's enough!" War snapped, and both Death and Sarah fell silent. War grunted irritably. "I've had enough of your quibbling. You're worse than Strife and Fury."

Death grunted, crossing his arms. "Fine. I'll let the human sleep. But then we move out."

Sarah turned away stubbornly. "Alright."

"Very well," War said conclusively, gesturing for his brother to follow him to a higher level of the cavern. "Death and I will guard you while you sleep."

"Hmph," Death replied. "Just don't make any noise, human."

"I'll be sure to keep the screaming to a minimum," Sarah replied sarcastically, leaning back against the stack of leathery pillows and turning towards the wall. She heard the crunch of gravel fade behind her and she sighed, letting her breath flow out of her slowly as she shut her eyes against the smell of the moist cavern walls around her. A breeze wafted through the cave and she shivered, reaching for a leather tarp that sat crumpled at the bottom of the hammock and instinctively pulling it over herself. As she began to fade, she wondered how long it would take before she and Death finally got on each other's last nerves.

Distant voices wandered into her mind as she drifted off, muted snatches of conversation between War and Death, likely plotting what their next move would be. But she didn't let that bother her. As she focused on her own breathing, eventually those voices turned into nothing more than threads in the fabric of her dreams as she peacefully navigated the events that had transpired during her short time on Earth. However, even after she'd fallen into a deep, restful sleep, War's voice remained with her, gently calling her name and guiding her into the morning.

/

She awoke alone, her body stiff from having remained in the same position the entire night. Carefully unwrapping herself from the leathery tarp, she glanced down to her bedside and saw another pitcher filled with water, from which she took a long, hard drink. She yawned, peacefully stretching her arms overhead as she looked around. Everything looked pretty much the same from the previous night, and as she fingered the pendant around her neck she began to wonder just where those two Horsemen had gotten off too.

Suddenly, her intimate thoughts were interrupted by a large booming noise echoing from somewhere deep within a tunnel on the other side of the cavern. Squinting her eyes in concern, the girl got up as a strong wind suddenly began to pick up around her, ruffling her skirts and causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. Her heart started to pound as she heard the clanging of armor traveling on the wind, and as her breath quickened she could hear the heavy trod of footsteps hurrying in her direction. Suddenly, two figures appeared at the mouth of the tunnel looking rather bedraggled.

"Run, Sarah!" War commanded, pointing his sword in the direction of the path that snaked its way upwards to her immediate left. Gasping, Sarah grabbed the gourd with the water and began to bolt along the stone path, careful not to trip on the myriad of broken pots and weapons that had been left over from the last battle. Still slightly disoriented from sleep, Sarah had barely made it halfway up the side of the cavern when she began to make out a swarm of strange, two-legged demons chasing after her two companions.

 _Oh no!_ she thought in alarm as War and Death hacked and slashed through the crowd in an attempt to make it smaller. In the back of the crowd, a demon pulled out a strange weapon that resembled a candelabra, and aimed it at Sarah's small figured scampering up the path.

Sarah yelped, jumping forward as the bombs collided with the rock face behind her and exploded in a rain of fire. She cried out as her bare knees scraped against the jagged rock, but she inhaled bravely and stood, continuing on until she reached a new hallway with a gate that was activated by a lever. She ducked into the entryway as two more bombs came flying towards her, narrowly missing her location. Looking out as the demonic gunman reloaded, Sarah realized that the demons were attempting to push the Horsemen right beneath two large stone pillars, where a dozen more of them were waiting to topple them over.

"War!" she shouted. "Death! Come quickly before they bring the cave down on you!"

The Horsemen looked up at her frantic waving, and with a determined nod, finished off the demons they were occupied with and began bolting for the gate. Seeing their plot, the gunman attempted to launch a bomb to destroy the small footbridge that led up to the gated hallway, but was suddenly struck down by a well-aimed rock that Sarah had sent flying from her perch high above the rest of them.

"Filthy demon!" she spat, hurling another rock at them, and then another, thwarting what attempts she could at hindering the Horsemen.

Finally, War and Death arrived at the top and Sarah wasted no time ushering them into the new hallway. With a heaving pull, she tore at the lever until the gate began to fall.

"This way!" she said quickly as the hissing and snarling of the demons grew closer. "It's a rudimentary gate and won't hold them for very long!"

"You think we don't know that?" Death snapped, but Sarah ignored him as they arrived in another cavern, this one with an exit clearly displayed. In the distance, Sarah could see the glowing blue portal rising up into the brown, ashen sky like a beacon.

"The portal!" she exclaimed, but War shushed her.

"There's no time to marvel at it now," he said. "We are indeed close, but we still need to cross the ashlands. Death, take Sarah onto your horse, or the ashworms will have their fun with her innards."

"Why me?" Death complained, but Sarah was relieved to see that the ground beneath her was shaking with Despair's arrival.

Death mounted first, and then with a strong tug brought Sarah up to sit directly in front of him. She hunched down, her legs hanging over one side as she positioned herself firmly between Death's arms. With a loud cry, War spurred both horses into action just as the demons began crowding around the corner.

Sarah held onto Despair's saddle tightly as the Horsemen galloped towards the portal. She kept her eyes steady on the blue plume of light as the thundering hooves of the horses against the ash filled her ears. It seemed like an eternity before they'd crossed the entire field, and once they did, War was once against quick to bark out orders.

"Brother," he said, grasping his sword as the horses disappeared back into the realms from which they were summoned. "Take Sarah onto your back and scale the wall up to the portal. I will meet you there once I can determine that there is no more danger down here."

"But…!" Death complained before letting out a pained whine.

"I'll scale the wall myself if it's too difficult for you, Death," Sarah said with a smug grin, to which Death replied with a huff and a strong yank of her arm.

"No need to be so violent!" she protested, almost wishing it was War that would hold her, and not this brute who obviously wanted nothing to do with her. Nevertheless, she allowed him to place her on his back, and grasped onto his neck tightly as he began to jump between the two walls that would lead them up to the cavern. They'd made it about halfway up when War flew past them, reaching the top effortlessly with the help of two large black wings that had sprouted from his back.

"Are you kidding me?" Death grumbled under his breath, and Sarah let out a chuckle as they arrived at the top as well.

"Sarah," War said to her as they began to head closer to the portal. "Are you sure that Uriel and Azrael are battling the hellbirds in Eden?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Sarah replied, crossing her arms in slight annoyance at being constantly doubted. "If I weren't sure, then I never would have sent us on this ridiculous quest."

"Very well then," War answered, drawing his Armageddon Blade. "Let us see what damage these beasts have wrought."


End file.
